SW Dec 2015 - Page 30

SURFACE SPOTLIGHT – GRAPHENE
Graphene – an insight into
this “wonder material”
“Wonder material” graphene
was first isolated in 2004 at
the University of Manchester
by Professor Andre Geim and
Professor Kostya Novoselov.
Their work earned them the
2010 Nobel prize for Physics.
The world’s first two-dimensional material,
graphene is the thinnest, strongest and most
conductive material discovered so far, and
has the potential to revolutionise a huge
number of diverse applications: from smart
phones and ultra-fast broadband to drug
delivery systems and computer chips.
Over the last decade graphene has captured
the attention of scientists and researchers
worldwide. It is ultra-light, yet immensely
tough. The global market for graphene is
reported to have reached $9 million by 2014
with most of these sales being concentrated
in the semiconductor, electronics, battery
energy and composites industries. In the
surface coatings sector it could lead to the
development of advanced paints that could
both reduce corrosion and increase energy
efficiency. A recent analysis from Frost &
Sullivan, ’Impact Assessment of Graphene
in Key Sectors’, expects market revenues
to reach $149.1 million by 2020.
Graphene is 200 times stronger than steel,
but is incredibly flexible. It is fire resistant
yet retains heat. It is a superb conductor,
but not even helium can pass through it.
According to the University of Manchester,
when graphene is used alone or combined
with other materials or substances, it has
the potential to create incredible future
technologies and vastly enhance existing
products.
Technically, graphene is a crystalline
allotrope of carbon with two-dimensional
properties. In graphene, carbon atoms
are densely packed in a regular
sp2-bondedatomic-scale chicken wire
(hexagonal) pattern. Graphene can be
described as a “one-atom thick layer of
graphite”. It is the basic structural element
of other allotropes, including graphite,
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charcoal, carbon nanotubes and fullerenes.
It can also be considered as an indefinitely
large aromatic molecule, the limiting
case of the family of flat polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons.
So what specific benefits will graphene
bring to mankind in the near future and
the decades to come? The University of
Manchester believes that the potential of
graphene is limited only by our imagination
and highlights the following practical
applications:
It could revolutionise medicine.
Nanotechnology is set to transform medical
procedures. Drugs could be delivered to
specific targeted cells. Graphene could pave
the way for a step change in the treatment of
cancer and conditions such as Parkinson’s.
It has enormous potential when used as a
membrane to separate liquids. It could see
huge progress in water purification and
treatment in developing countries, and even
provide more efficient desalination plants.
It can help to make the world a safer place,
both in aircraft and automotive technology
and through the development of special
clothing for the defence industry.
It could create sensors that can detect
even minute traces of gases or dangerous
chemicals, or sustainable food packaging
that can let you know when
food has gone off.
scale graphene production in a costeffective and reproducible manner makes
commercialisation a major challenge.
To date, graphene has been developed
mostly at the laboratory level, as processes
like nano-slicing used during industrial-scale
production boost costs and hamper the
quality of end products. Manufacturers are
designing several economical and largescale production processes to ensure that
high-quality graphene can be produced
within a short time. This can significantly
reduce commercialisation challenges.”
Its ability to absorb light
and retain it as energy,
together with its strength
and flexibility, means that
wearable electronics and
clothing that communicates
are realistic possibilities.
Harnessed with polymers
and composites, it could
make numerous forms of
transport safer and more
fuel efficient.
However, Technical Insights Research Analyst
Sanchari Chatterjee at Frost & Sullivan
introduces a note of caution: “Despite the
potential of graphene, the absence of large-
December 2015
Sources: www.manchester.ac.uk
www.wikipedia.com
www.technicalinsights.frost.com
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